[selykg]

There are a few big caveats that I looked at when I recently upgraded my iPad.

Screen. The Pro screens are better. How much that matters is up to you. Given I am into photography and wanted to have the nicer screen this mattered to me. You can also get the nano-textured glass on the Pro but I don't believe you can on the others. This is a super pricey option though.

Processor. The Pro has M4, Air has M3.

USB-C port differences. I believe the Pro line have faster USB-C transfer speeds. Not sure if this has changed but it used to be a thing.

I skipped the Apple Pencil this time around, I just didn't use it enough with my previous iPad Pro to justify getting it again. I've had it for two months, so far I am happy with the decision.

There are probably others, so your point is certainly valid, that it is a pain to find the legitimate differences that might matter without digging into the specs.